Lyrics The First Function of Mythology - Akira The Don feat. Joseph Campbell

Consciousness
Has other notions
Of how things ought to be
What virtue is
And so on
One of the problems
That man has to face
Is reconciling himself to the foundations of his own existence

And this is the first function of mythology
This is the first function of mythology
That reconciliation
Of consciousness
With the mystery of being
This is the first function of mythology

Not
Criticizing it
Shakespeare in his definition of art in Hamlet
Where he says
"Art holds the mirror up to nature"
Is a perfect definition
I would say
Of the first function of mythology
When you hold the mirror
Up to your self
Your consciousness becomes aware
Of its support
What it is
What it is
That is supporting it
You may be shocked
At what you see
You may be greatly pleased
But one way or another
You become aware
Of yourself
Your consciousness becomes aware of that darkness
That being
Which came into being
Out of darkness
And which is its own support

And this is the first function of mythology
This is the first function of mythology
That reconciliation
Of consciousness
With the mystery of being
This is the first function of mythology

And the realization
Of their mystery
As something
That consciousness
Is not going to be able to criticize
Not even going to be able to elucidate
Not even going to be able to name
It is something
Beyond naming
Beyond all definition
That is the first point
And when that is lost
One loses this sense of awe
Which Goethe calls
"The best thing in man."
One loses the sense of gratitude
For one's privilege
Of having
This
Center of consciousness
Aware of these things

And this is the first function of mythology
This is the first function of mythology
That reconciliation
Of consciousness
With the mystery of being
This is the first function of mythology